It is demonstrated that de-gassed water is more effective at dispersing hydrophobic "dirt", such as liquid hydrocarbons or oils. This effect appears to be due to the reduction of natural cavitation, which would otherwise oppose the dispersion of hydrophobic liquid droplets into water. De-gassing of the oil enhances this effect still further, and this has led to a proposal for a novel cleaning process, based on using a combination of a de-gassed (hydrophobic) solvent followed by rinsing in de-gassed water. This method might be useful as an effective, detergent-free cleaning process. Also reported are some initial studies which suggest that the effect of "inert" dissolved gases on the electrical conductivity of water may need to be reconsidered.

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Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) have been described as a class of particulate acidic polysaccharides, which are large, transparent organic particles, and commonly found in seawater, surface water, and wastewater. Due to their unique physicochemical characteristics, more and more attention has recently been given to the effects of TEP on membrane fouling. In this review, the characteristics and determination methods of TEP as well as its potential effect on membrane biofouling are discussed. It appears that the analytical methods for TEP available in the literature are still debatable, and there is room for further improvement. Nevertheless, evidence suggests that TEP might be involved in the development of membrane fouling, especially at the early stage of biofilm development on membranes.

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